Global experts convene in Nairobi for Clean-Air Forum 2025

A heavy cloud of smoke emanates from a salt factory at Malindi's Gongoni in Kilifi County on Thursday,016th March,2017. Area locals said the smoke from the nearby by salt factory spreads around the sky in Gongoni township causing heavy pollution to thel residents who now fear it may cause health hazards. [FILE/Standard]

Air quality experts from across the world will convene in Nairobi next week for the third edition of the Clean-Air Forum to discuss the pressing issue of pollution.

The forum, to be held under the theme 'Partnerships for Clean Air Solutions', will bring together stakeholders including government, researchers, civil society representatives, city planners, development partners, youth, and private sector actors.

The Forum builds on the previous editions held in Kampala in 2023 and Lagos in 2024.

"The Clean-Air Forum has become Africa's leading platform for driving evidence, innovation, and equity in air quality," said Wanjira Mathai, managing director for Africa and Global Partnerships at World Resource Institute.

"The theme is a timely reminder that no one city, country or community can solve this crisis alone. We have to work together."

According to a recent HEI Scoping Review, air pollution led to approximately 294,000 deaths in 2021 across the continent, making it the second-largest contributor to mortality, surpassed only by malnutrition.

The review also shows that biomass fuel use and vehicle emissions are among the dominant sources of pollution, with limited air quality monitoring coverage across the region.

Despite Nairobi's status as a continental environmental hub, the city still has fewer than 100 publicly accessible air quality monitors.

These monitors are largely deployed through collaborative efforts involving AirQo, Breathe Cities, UNEP, and the GEOHealth Hub, among others, in partnership with the city government to help fill critical data gaps.

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja said that the city has made great progress through expanding air quality monitoring, adding that the forum will unite leaders, experts, civil society, and citizens to share policies that protect our health and our city's future.

"Air pollution remains a major public health and environmental threat, both locally and globally," said Sakaja.

He added: "The data we have must drive inclusive and informed action."

Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who will be one of the keynote speakers, emphasised the need for collaboration.

"When we collaborate, we share expertise, benchmark standards, and speak with one voice," said Dr. Ajayi.

He added: "The CLEAN-Air Forum is helping African cities build that shared language and vision."

Dr. Mathew Owili, Deputy Governor of Kisumu, one of Kenya's fastest-growing cities, said: "Through shared data, harmonised policies, and joint strategies, cities can access more funding and implement innovation faster. I hope this Forum catalyses a united front, bigger investments, stronger commitments, and new partnerships for clean air."

This year's forum will also launch a renewed vision for partnerships for the Africa Clean Air Network, with a shared commitment to connecting people, data, and practical solutions that support clean air efforts across the continent.

After three years of advancing partner-led collaborations since the launch at the inaugural forum in Kampala in 2023, the network has grown into a powerful force: "bridging science and policy, expanding Africa's air quality data, raising awareness, and shaping bold new policies"

Over 300 participants are expected to attend, representing national and local governments, academic institutions, startups, funding organisations, development partners, and grassroots groups.